Well, that’s an issue that can be easily worked out, though.
In the current version of the game, take a scenario where you don’t have the permissions to interact with a portal (besides crossing it if it’s open).
Then imagine a similar scenario where this no-permission state still allows you to donate oortshards to fuel a portal, but does not allow you to take any oortshards out, this could be very interesting.
Another way to show you like a place, by offering oort to one of its portals. I would love this, as someone who argued for a way to allow people to show how much they like a place, as opposed to the prestige-based system which is just pointless and mostly creates conflicts and prestige-wars.
Now imagine a Boundless universe where oortstones would be more common than they currently are (they could be acquired from more diverse activities, for instance), so that people would be more opened to donate them.
Imagine a Boundless universe where people would actually donate oortshards to portals to keep them fuelled if they think the place is cool enough, especially when the actual owner can’t really afford to spend the time to do it himself/herself (a category in which I fall into).
Currently, really, who donates anything in the baskets where there is 0 coin price on purpose (the donation baskets)? In my case, someone may have donated like one oortshard, once. Yay.
Worst case scenario, donating Oortshards could give you XP points or offer progress in a daily chest in the exchange, so that the people who donates actually get something out of it too.
But maybe it would have to be balanced so that people don’t donate for the reward, otherwise it slightly defeats the purpose of a donation (kinda like how charity gives you a tax deductions in real life). Still works for the person who gets the donation, though.